Aaron Winsor
Hello Prince Albert! What are your thoughts on Moscato? For many people, the Moscato grape/wine is a wonderful place to begin their wine journey as it is accessibly sweet and fruity with the added benefit of being quite affordable on average. As most wine drinkers develop a palate and/or gain further education on the intricacies of wine, they tend to move towards drier, more austere styles and leave the cheaper, sugary options behind.
I’ll admit that I’ve always enjoyed the dry types of wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Vermentino but oddly enough, as I’ve progressed and tasted my way through some of the wines of the world, I’ve acquired a taste and appreciation for sweet wines like Riesling, Chenin Blanc (both also made as dry wines) or Moscato. A few things I can say about the common bottles of Moscato found in Australia and USA: they are intense, flavorful, fruity and sweet. You typically know what you’re going to get when buying a bottle.
You’re likely familiar with the big names of Moscato in our liquor stores; Barefoot (USA), Wine O’Clock (Canada), Jacob’s Creek (Australia) or Mcguigan Black Label (Australia) among many others but what about those who enjoy Moscato and want higher-quality alternatives? While the search for “better” Moscato wines can be tricky (the style is typically cheap and sweet), consider wines like Martini Asti Spumante (an Italian sparkling wine from the Asti area) which carries a DOC designation. Another brand to try is Batasiolo (found in the Italian section). If you take a look around Christmas time, you may find a gift box or two featuring flute glasses and a lovely bottle of Asti Spumante (Sparkling Asti).
I recommend trying both the Moscato wines from this week: the Christobel’s Moscato (Australia) and the Innocent Bystander (also from Australia but found in the sparkling wine section). The art of the Innocent Bystander drew me in with its fun label featuring the silhouette of a cloaked stranger spray-painted in bright pink. The wine follows the lead of the label with an intensely fruity flavor of red fruit and zip of citrus. To achieve the rose/pink color, the wine is made from Gordo and Black Muscat grapes from old vine plantings (old vines produce concentrated, deep flavors). The only downsides are the price ($30-plus per bottle), the lower alcohol level (5.5%) and the fact that the bottle disappears way too quickly!
Even though I had previously tasted the Christobel’s Moscato, I wanted to give it another taste to see if it was as good as I remembered. What jumps out about this wine is the fruity nose/flavors and the intense effervescence which leaves a slightly foamy appearance as it is poured into a glass. The flavors are delicious and concentrated, but the wine does tend to taste simple, and for that reason, I believe it is best shared with friends while watching a good show and sharing snacks like Prosciutto-wrapped melon balls, freshly sliced fruits or mouthwatering appetizers like fried calamari or dry ribs. This brand of Moscato also makes a fantastic gift as the bottle is beautiful to look at and the style is so accessible (unless the recipient doesn’t enjoy sweet wine).
Moscato makes a fantastic addition to any wine tasting but consider the residual sugar of every wine in the tasting and organize the order of the wines accordingly. In other words, if you serve something sweet right before something dry, the fruitiness of the dry wine will be cancelled out and the wine will end up tasting bitter. Sweet wines can be served as an opening course but sufficient time and food (something with salt or acid like a pickle is most useful) are required to allow the palate to adjust and clear in time for the flavors of the dry wine to stand out. The simplest method is to put the sweet wine at the end of the tasting. Here are my wine picks of the week!
Innocent Bystander Sparkling Rose Moscato: (Yarra Valley, Australia). Very sweet sparkling rose, pale pink color with small, fine bubbles/perlage. The nose is lively and intense with strawberry, melon and citrus zest. On the palate, the flavors and sweetness are both high in intensity with a small amount of visible carbonation. Red fruits, watermelon and bright citrus pop on the tongue with peaches and fresh apples coming in after the first few sips. The medium-length finish is fruity and tingly with a nectar-like quality of residual sugars. Light bodied with zippy, medium-plus acidity, this sparkling Moscato is refreshing and very easy to drink. This is a great option for a get-together or for interesting food pairings. Not complex but the tasting experience is enjoyable and flavorful. Loses a point for the higher price. Good! $32, 5.5% ABV
Christobel’s Moscato: (Product of Australia). Sweet, effervescent white, pale to medium-lemon color. The scents on the nose grab your attention with sweet tangy mineral, light apple blossoms, white peach, apricots and nectarines. To the taste, the wine is full of intense, fruity flavor with plenty of impact at first which fades quickly, leaving a delightful tingling/buzzing sensation and flavors of sweet, zesty mineral and apple skins/juice. Light body and medium-plus acidity with a fruity mid-palate of peaches and apple fruit. The wine is right at the edge of being sparkling, but the tiny micro-bubbles are closer to a light foam at the top and edges of the wine. These tiny bubbles are known as effervescence and leave a buzz on the tastebuds, adding an enjoyable textural experience to the tasting. This wine is simple and straightforward and while I liked it, I also got bored a bit too quickly. Share with friends or drink with sweet desserts, creamy cheeses, or green apple cheesecake. Good! $21, 8.5% ABV
Cheers and thanks for reading!
